STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 1
CULT – 1
VERDICT – 5/5
PROS –
1) A classic caper from the team of George Roy Hill, Paul Newman, and Robert Redford who gave us Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
2) A small-time con-man [Robert Redford] took the revenge of his murdered partner from a Chicago crime boss, with the help of a veteran con-man [Paul Newman]. The movie starts slow however, the plan is so elaborate that by the time we reach the climax even the audiences will be left dumb-struck.
3) The innocent-looking waitress was the notorious assassin Salino all along. That was one shocking twist.
4) Full marks to David S. Ward for the brilliant original story.
5) Classic piano-based soundtrack featuring music of Scott Joplin including “The Entertainer”.
6) One particular aspect of this movie is the use of painted title cards before each chapter viz “The Players”, “The Set-Up,” “The Hook,” “The Tale,” “The Wire,” “The Shut-Out” and “The Sting.”
CONS –
N/A
QUOTE –
Doyle Lonnegan: Your boss is quite a card player, Mr. Kelly; how does he do it?
Johnny Hooker: He cheats.
Factual Reviews 